Automatic domestic dishwashers, that is those designed primarily for use in the home, support various dishes and items of cookware in open racks or trays and accomplish the washing and rinsing action by spraying streams of water over the items. Typically a basket is positioned within the washing cavity to hold flatware and miscellaneous small items during the washing and rinsing operations. While the basket in some dishwashers is mounted on or is integral with the door, it is common practice to support the basket on the bottom rack. Such baskets tend to be relatively large in order to hold a significant number of knives, forks, spoons and other items. This takes up significant room in the rack and, from time to time, may interfere with optimum loading of dishes and utensils. Sometimes there are fewer flatware items than the capacity of the basket and sometimes the number and configuration of soiled dishes and utensils is such that the washing operation would be enhanced if the flatware basket were positioned in a different location, were divided into more than one component or if only part of the basket were used for that particular operation.